BNK Financial Group Rewards Citizen Who Caught Water Gun Robber at Busan Bank

Citizen Who Stopped Robbery at Busan Bank Ilgwang Branch
Various Rewards Considered, Including Appointment as Honorary Branch Manager
"Specific Plans to Be Announced After Police Commendation"

BNK Financial Group plans to reward a citizen who subdued a robber armed with a water gun who broke into a bank.

According to reports compiled on the 12th, BNK Financial intends to give various rewards to customer Park Cheon-gyu, who subdued the robber who broke into the Busan Bank Ilgwang branch. It is known that the relevant departments are considering specific rewards such as appointing him as an honorary branch manager.

A BNK Financial official stated, “After the police present a letter of appreciation and other rewards, a concrete plan will be announced.” An honorary branch manager is responsible for bank promotional activities and acts as a bridge to strengthen ties with excellent customers around the branch. For example, the manager of the Lotte Giants, a baseball team based in Busan, has often been appointed as an honorary branch manager.

On the morning of the 10th, at a bank in Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, a man in his 30s threatened to hand over money using a toy dinosaur water gun wrapped in black vinyl but was apprehended within 2 minutes by customers and bank staff, the Busan Gijang Police Station announced. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 10th, the Busan Gijang Police Station arrested and investigated a man in his 30s, identified as Mr. A, on suspicion of robbery. He is accused of breaking into the Busan Bank located in Ilgwang-eup, Gijang-gun, Busan, that morning to steal money. Mr. A carried an object shaped like a gun wrapped in a black plastic bag and covered his face with a mask, shouting “Get on your knees.” He attempted to break into the branch manager’s office, but when the manager called the police, he returned to the teller area and demanded the bank employees put money into a suitcase.

At that moment, customer Park grabbed the object in the robber’s hands with both hands and fell down together, snatching the gun away. The security guard and employees joined forces to subdue Mr. A. Inside the black plastic bag Mr. A was carrying was a dinosaur-shaped toy gun. It is known that Mr. A experienced financial hardship after failing in self-employment and being unable to find a job. Park is reported to have served in a special forces unit during his youth, and the Busan Gijang Police Station plans to present him with a letter of appreciation.

While it is common for the police to award cash prizes to those who stop bank robbers, it is rare for the bank itself to directly express gratitude. In 2023, at a NongHyup branch in Gongju, Chungnam, employees blocked a suspect who threatened staff with a weapon and tried to escape. At that time, the Gongju Police Station awarded letters of appreciation and cash prizes to two employees and two residents who contributed to the arrest of the suspect.